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7-4 Assignment - Persuasive Essay Final
English Composition II (ENG123)
Southern New Hampshire University
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7-4 Assignment: Persuasive Essay: Why Work From Home
Christina Simmons English Department, Southern New Hampshire University ENG-123-Q4386: English Composition II Instructor Sara Pettey April 18, 2021
7-4 Assignment: Persuasive Essay: Why Work From Home Consider how much time is spent working in the office, along with the commute to work. According to the US Census Bureau, in 2019, the average commute time one way is 27. minutes (United States Census Bureau, 2021). I travel a lot for work, and when I am home, I have to commute to the office. I lose a lot of productivity time on a weekly basis between flying and commuting. Many people have to travel for work and/or spend over 40hrs. a week in the office. Often times this leads to burnout due to stress as employees are not able to get caught up because of the loss in productivity, and they end up quitting their job. There is a need for a better work-life balance, which will provide employees with more satisfaction, and keep them from looking for another job. Companies should implement a flexible working environment policy because it is beneficial to the employer and the employee as it increases productivity, employee satisfaction, and employee retention.
First, when it comes to productivity while in the office, the main things that slow people down are co-workers that stop by to gossip, the phones ringing, questions that are asked from people that could figure something out on their own, and disturbances or noises that interrupt a train of thought. All of those distractions can be eliminated by working from home, which will in turn increase productivity. My workload has increased over the years, so I had to figure out how to keep up. The first thing I looked at was how to be more productive, so that I can get more work done in a day. As I started researching the effects of working from home, I found that telecommuting can increase productivity. In 2012, a survey was conducted by the faculty of Economics and Law at the University of Pitesti, Romania on the effects of telework in France (Brinzea & Secara, 2017). The study concluded that telework accounts for a 22% increase in productivity due to fewer absences, employees being more effective, and gaining time due to no
-out plan is also required by the organization in order to ensure that their employees will have the equipment and tools they need to be successful. With the right plan in place, allowing employees to work from home will benefit the employer and employee as telework correlates to an increase in productivity.
Next, besides productivity, the most important area that companies should be focusing on is employee satisfaction. If companies want to retain quality employees, they need to provide flexibility. People have a life outside of work. As time goes on, people realize how precious each minute of their life is. With me traveling frequently and working in the office, this made me question whether I wanted to continue working for my company as I miss out on so many things with my family and life in general. I was stressed out as I felt like I was failing as a friend, a wife, and a mom because I was never home. As I was researching, I found that working from home provides employees with a better work-life balance and reduces stress. In 2012, the faculty of Economics and Law at the University of Pitesti, Romania conducted a survey on the effects of telework (Brinzea & Secara, 2017). It was found that employees that work from home gained approximately 37 minutes per day towards their personal life (Brinzea & Secara, 2017). That means that over the course of a year, employees could gain over 150 hours to spend time with friends and family, travel the world, volunteer or invest in something that they are passionate about, go back to school, and get the degree that they have always wanted; the possibilities are endless. There is only so much time allowed on this earth, and we should spend it wisely. In addition to this study, in 2019, the assistant professor at the Gitarattan International Business school in New Delhi conducted a study on “the relationship between Flexible Working Arrangements and Employees Satisfaction in the IT sector” (Wadhawan, 2019, p. 61). The regression analysis results indicated that FWA’s provide a 39% increase in employee satisfaction
(Wadhawan, 2019). If employers have a policy in place that allows their employees flexibility in the workplace, that provides the employee with an increased work-life balance and happiness. Work can be done at a time when employees are most productive. However, not all agree that a flexible working environment increases employee satisfaction. Some people feel isolated and disconnected while working from home as there is not any face to face contact. According to a questionnaire on how working from home has affected productivity during COVID-19, that was conducted in 2020 by the management-marketing department at the University of Oradea, 13% of employees were very satisfied, while 27% of employees were very dissatisfied, and the remainder were in between (Bucurean, 2020). Out of this group of people, 62% were experiencing telecommuting for the first time in their career and 23% did not have the proper tools to work from home (Bucurean, 2020). Telecommuting is different than what most people are used to, but once they adjust to the new environment they will find freedom and convenience in setting their own schedule. Appointments or personal tasks no longer have to be scheduled around work. Working for a company that provides flexibility provides employees with satisfaction, a better attitude, and more time for their personal lives.
Lastly, one of the most prominent challenges that companies face today is obtaining new talented employees and retaining key employees. When you lose an employee, the company has to put forth time and money to replace them. Companies would be doing themselves a favor if they look into what it is that attracts and retains employees. What are the trends that set companies apart? As time goes on, studies show that more people want to work from home. A survey was conducted in 2016 by the Society for Human Resource Management which sampled 900 US-based companies with more than 50 employees (Brinzea & Secara, 2017). From 2005- 2016, the percentage of people that choose to work from home on a regular basis rose from 31%
look for in a company and think about how companies can align their policies with the needs and wants of the world.
References
Brinzea, V., & Secara, C. (2017). The telework, a flexible way to work in a changing workplace. Scientific Bulletin – Economic Sciences , 15 , 104-111. economic.upit/RePEc/pdf/2017_3_14.pdf
Bucurean, M. (2020). The impact of working from home on productivity. A study on the pandemic period. Oradea University Publishing House, 29 (2), 267-275. anale.steconomiceuoradea/en/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Anale- AUOES_Issue-2-din-2020
Idowu, S. (2020). Role of flexible working hours’ arrangement on employee job performance and retention in manufacturing industries in Agbara, Nigeria. Economic Insights – Trends and Challenges, 9 (3), 23-37. upg-bulletin-se/wp- content/uploads/2020/08/3.Idowu_
United States Census Bureau. (2021, March 18). Census bureau estimates show average one- way travel time to work rises to all-time high. census/newsroom/press- releases/2021/one-way-travel-time-to-work-rises
Wadhawan, S. (2019). Impact of flexible working arrangements on employee satisfaction in IT sector. BVIMSR’s Journal of Management Research, 11 (1), 59-65. bvimsr/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/April-2019.pdf
7-4 Assignment - Persuasive Essay Final
Course: English Composition II (ENG123)
University: Southern New Hampshire University
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